Patients as Partners: Telemonitors Help Reduce Re-Admissions

Under the auspices of the Healthy@Home division, nearly 400 home telemonitors were deployed to patients with serious medical conditions. These devices enable caregivers to monitor vital signs 24/7. Healthy@Home programs resulted in exceptional outcomes throughout the year. For example, hospital re-admission rates of heart failure patients with a home monitor were consistently lower than rates of heart failure patients without telemonitored care.

Another new home-based program, Call Us First, encourages patients to call a home health agency with questions or concerns regarding non-life threatening issues. This program decreases the number of unnecessary hospital re-admissions as well as unnecessary visits to emergency departments. In short, it helps patients to further engage in their own care by addressing health issues before those issues require urgent attention.